U.S. patent application number 14/312814 was filed with the patent office on 2014-10-16 for interface card, network device having the same and control method thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.. The applicant listed for this patent is SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Hyun-wook PARK.
Application Number | 20140307281 14/312814 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38656612 |
Filed Date | 2014-10-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140307281 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
PARK; Hyun-wook |
October 16, 2014 |
INTERFACE CARD, NETWORK DEVICE HAVING THE SAME AND CONTROL METHOD
THEREOF
Abstract
An interface card is capable of communicating with an external
device and includes a power supplier; a non-volatile memory which
stores executable instructions to operate in an active-mode and a
sleep-mode; a small-capacity volatile memory which is supplied with
power in the sleep mode; a transmitter-receiver which transmits and
receives packet data to/from the external device; and a controller
which retrieves sleep-mode instructions stored in the non-volatile
memory and loads the sleep mode instructions in the small-capacity
volatile memory to transition the interface card into the sleep
mode if the transmitter-receiver does not receive the packet data
for predetermined time period in an active mode. The interface card
processes certain packet data in the sleep mode and transitions
back into the active mode when sleep mode operations determine that
the packet data cannot be processed in the sleep mode. The
non-volatile memory, and other components of an external circuit,
is powered down when the interface card is in the sleep mode.
Inventors: |
PARK; Hyun-wook;
(Gwacheon-si, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd. |
Suwon-si |
|
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG Electronics Co.,
Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
38656612 |
Appl. No.: |
14/312814 |
Filed: |
June 24, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13897684 |
May 20, 2013 |
8793523 |
|
|
14312814 |
|
|
|
|
13026490 |
Feb 14, 2011 |
8468378 |
|
|
13897684 |
|
|
|
|
11776725 |
Jul 12, 2007 |
7908502 |
|
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13026490 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
358/1.13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02D 50/42 20180101;
Y02D 10/14 20180101; Y02D 50/20 20180101; G06F 1/3228 20130101;
Y02D 30/50 20200801; G06F 1/3275 20130101; H04L 12/12 20130101;
Y02D 10/00 20180101; G06K 15/406 20130101; G06F 3/1221 20130101;
Y02D 50/40 20180101; G06F 1/3215 20130101; Y02D 10/13 20180101;
G06F 1/3209 20130101; G06K 2215/0017 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
358/1.13 |
International
Class: |
G06K 15/00 20060101
G06K015/00; G06F 3/12 20060101 G06F003/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 3, 2006 |
KR |
10-2006-0073502 |
Claims
1. A printing apparatus connectable to a network, the printing
apparatus comprising: a printing engine; and a transmitter-receiver
to transmit packet data to an external device and to receive packet
data from the external device via the network, the printing
apparatus to operate in an active mode, a partial sleep mode during
which less power is consumed than in the active mode and a complete
sleep mode during which less power is consumed than in the partial
sleep mode, the operation mode of the printing apparatus being
controlled by a controller that executes instructions stored in at
least one memory, if no packet data is transmitted from the
external device via the network for a predetermined period of time
when the printing apparatus is in the active mode, the controller
transitions the printing apparatus to the complete sleep mode, if
the packet data received via the transmitter-receiver from the
network when the printing apparatus is in the complete sleep mode
is a multicast packet data, a respondent packet data is transmitted
via the transmitter-receiver to the network without the controller
transitioning the printing apparatus from the complete sleep mode
to the partial sleep mode in response to the received multicast
packet data, and if the packet data received via the
transmitter-receiver from the network when the printing apparatus
is in the complete sleep mode is printing packet data, the
controller transitions the printing apparatus from the complete
sleep mode to the active mode and the printing engine performs a
printing operation in the active mode.
2. The printing apparatus of claim 1, wherein active-mode
instruction code is executed during the partial sleep mode, and
additional power consumption reduction is achieved in the complete
sleep mode by the controller executing sleep-mode instruction code
instead of the active-mode instruction code.
3. The printing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: the least
one memory to store an active mode firmware and a sleep mode
firmware, the active mode firmware including instructions to be
executed by the controller so as to operate the printing apparatus
in the active mode, and the sleep mode firmware including
instructions to be executed by the controller so as to operate the
printing apparatus in at least one of the partial sleep mode and
the complete sleep mode; and the controller to process the received
packet in the active mode by executing the active mode firmware
when it is determined that the sleep mode firmware is unable to
process the packet received during at least one of the partial
sleep mode and the complete sleep mode.
4. The printing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the received packet
data that can be processed by the transmitter-receiver during the
partial sleep mode is a discovery packet data, and the
transmitter-receiver generates a respondent packet data in response
to the received discovery packet data and transmits the respondent
packet data without the controller transitioning the printing
apparatus to the active mode.
5. A method of controlling a printing apparatus that is
communicatively coupled to a network, the printing apparatus to
operate in an active mode, a partial sleep mode during which less
power is consumed than in the active mode, and a complete sleep
mode during which less power is consumed than in the partial sleep
mode, where a controller executes instructions stored in at least
one memory to control the operation mode of the printing apparatus,
the method comprising: transmitting packet data to an external
device and receiving packet data from the external device via the
network with a transmitter-receiver, if no packet data is
transmitted from the external device via the network for a
predetermined period of time when the printing apparatus is in the
active mode, the controller transitioning the printing apparatus to
the complete sleep mode, if the packet data received via the
transmitter-receiver from the network when the printing apparatus
is in the complete sleep mode is a multicast packet data,
transmitting a respondent packet data via the transmitter-receiver
to the network without the controller transitioning the printing
apparatus from the complete sleep mode to the partial sleep mode in
response to the received multicast packet data, and if the packet
data received via the transmitter-receiver from the network when
the printing apparatus is in the complete sleep mode is printing
packet data, the controller transitioning the printing apparatus
from the complete sleep mode to the active mode and performing a
printing operation with a printing engine in the active mode.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: executing active-mode
instruction code with the controller during the partial sleep mode;
and executing sleep-mode instruction code with the controller
instead of the active-mode instruction code to achieve additional
power consumption reduction in the complete sleep mode.
7. The method of claim 5, further comprising: storing an active
mode firmware and a sleep mode firmware in at least one memory, the
active mode firmware including instructions to be executed by the
controller so as to operate the printing apparatus in the active
mode, and the sleep mode firmware including instructions to be
executed by the controller so as to operate the printing apparatus
in at least one of the partial sleep mode and the complete sleep
mode; and processing the received packet in the active mode with
the controller by executing the active mode firmware when it is
determined that the sleep mode firmware is unable to process the
packet received during at least one of the partial sleep mode and
the complete sleep mode.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the received packet data that can
be processed by the transmitter-receiver during the partial sleep
mode is a discovery packet data, and generating a respondent packet
data with the transmitter-receiver in response to the received
discovery packet data and transmitting the respondent packet data
without the controller transitioning the printing apparatus to the
active mode.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation Application of prior
application Ser. No. 13/897,684, filed on May 20, 2013, which is a
continuation application of prior application Ser. No. 13/026,490,
filed on Feb. 14, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,468,378, which is a
continuation of prior art application Ser. No. 11/776,725, filed
Jul. 12, 2007 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,502 in the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office, which claims priority from Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2006-0073502, filed on Aug. 3, 2006, in the
Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire content of which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present general inventive concept described herein
through illustrative embodiments thereof relates to an interface
card, a network device having the same and a control method
thereof, and more particularly, to an interface card which is
capable of sending and receiving data over a network in both a
sleep mode and an active mode, a network device having the same and
a control method thereof.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Certain electronic devices have an "active" operational mode
in which normal operations are performed and a "sleep" mode in
which standby operations are performed, which consume less power
than the normal operations executed in the active mode. Such an
electronic device is an interface card of a network device, which
is connected to a network such as an Ethernet compliant network or
the like. Usually, such interface cards are provided with a driving
power, even during the sleep mode, so that the device may respond
to requests from external network devices.
[0006] FIG. 1 is a block diagram to illustrate a configuration of a
typical interface card of a conventional network device. The
interface card 100 for the network device includes a central
processing unit (CPU) 112 and an Ethernet controller 114, which are
provided as a system on chip (SOC) 110, a non-volatile memory 120,
a volatile memory 122 and a transmitter-receiver 124.
[0007] The transmitter-receiver 124 receives packet data from an
external network device and outputs the packet data to the Ethernet
controller 114. The Ethernet controller 114 processes the input
packet data and stores the packet data in the volatile memory 122.
The CPU 112 processes the packet data stored in the volatile memory
122 via a software protocol stack configured in accordance with the
applicable network protocol, such as a transmission control
protocol (TCP), an Internet protocol (IP) or the like.
[0008] In the configuration where the CPU 112 and the Ethernet
controller 114 are provided in a single unit of SOC 110, however,
power is provided to the entire circuit all the time. That is,
power is continuously supplied to the CPU 112, the Ethernet
controller 114, the non-volatile memory 120, the volatile memory
122 and the transmitter-receiver 124 regardless of whether the
network device is in the active mode or the sleep mode.
Consequently, power is unnecessarily consumed by the non-volatile
memory 120 and the volatile memory 122 during standby operations of
the interface card.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present general inventive concept to provides an
interface card which is capable of reducing power consumption in a
sleep mode, a network device having the same and a control method
thereof.
[0010] The present general inventive concept also provides an
interface card which is capable of processing packet data in a
sleep mode, a network device having the same and a control method
thereof.
[0011] Additional aspects and utilities of the present general
inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description
which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description,
or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept.
[0012] The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the
general inventive concept are achieved by providing an interface
card to communicate with an external device, the interface card
comprising a power supplier, a non-volatile memory system to store
processor-executable instructions for active mode operations and to
store processor-executable instructions for sleep-mode operations,
a first volatile memory to be supplied with power in a sleep mode,
a transmitter-receiver to transmit packet data to and receive
packet data from the external device, and a controller to load the
sleep-mode instructions stored in the non-volatile memory into the
first volatile memory and to transition the interface card into the
sleep mode responsive to the transmitter-receiver not receiving the
packet data for a predetermined time during the active-mode
operations, the controller to execute only the instructions for the
sleep-mode operations stored in the first volatile memory upon
completing the transition into the sleep mode.
[0013] The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the
general inventive concept are also achieved by providing a network
printer that includes a printing engine, and an interface card to
communicate with an external device, the interface card comprising
a power supplier, a first volatile memory, a non-volatile memory
having processor-executable instructions stored therein to form
active-mode firmware and sleep-mode firmware, a
transmitter-receiver which transmits packet data to and receives
packet data from the external device, and a controller which loads
instruction code of the sleep-mode firmware from the non-volatile
memory into the first volatile memory and controls the power
supplier to block power to the non-volatile memory, the controller
further transitions the interface card into the sleep mode if the
transmitter-receiver does not receive packet data in an active mode
for a predetermined time.
[0014] The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the
general inventive concept are also achieved by providing a control
method of a network printer selectively operable into an active
mode and a sleep mode that consumes less power than in the active
mode, the network printer communicating with an external device
over a communication network, the method comprising receiving
packet data in the active mode from the external device,
transitioning the network printer into the sleep mode if the packet
data are not received for a predetermined time, and receiving the
packet data in the sleep mode from the external device and
determining whether the packet data can be processed in the sleep
mode.
[0015] The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the
general inventive concept are also achieved by providing a control
method of an interface card, where the interface card comprises a
non-volatile memory which stores processor-executable instructions
for operating in an active mode and processor-executable
instructions for operating in a sleep mode, the method comprising
receiving packet data from an external device, and loading the
sleep mode instructions from the non-volatile memory into a first
volatile memory and removing power supplied to the non-volatile
memory if the packet data are not received for a predetermined time
in the active mode.
[0016] The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the
general inventive concept are also achieved by providing a network
interface system comprising an interface circuit to execute
processing instructions responsive to receipt of any of a set of
data packets, and an external circuit coupled to the interface
circuit to provide thereto other processing instructions executable
thereby responsive to a determination that a data packet outside
the set of data packets has been received by the interface
circuit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] These and/or other aspects of the present general inventive
concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the
following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings of which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram to illustrate a configuration of a
conventional interface card;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram to illustrate a configuration of
an interface card according to an exemplary embodiment of the
present general inventive concept;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a flow chart to illustrate transition into a sleep
mode according to the exemplary embodiment of the present general
inventive concept;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the processing of packet
data in the sleep mode according to the exemplary embodiment of the
present general inventive concept; and
[0022] FIGS. 5A and 5B are block diagrams to illustrate operation
of a network printer which employs the interface card according to
the exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive
concept.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary
embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of
which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like
reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The
descriptions below are provided to illustrate through exemplary
embodiments of the present general inventive concept how such may
be practiced. Such descriptions are not intended to limit the
inventive concept to the exemplary embodiments described.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown an interface card 200 of
a network device, such as a network printer, according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The exemplary
interface card 200 includes a transmitter-receiver 212, an Ethernet
controller 214, a CPU 216, a first volatile memory 218, a power
supplier 220, a non-volatile memory 230 and a second volatile
memory 22. It is to be understood that, while the exemplary
configuration illustrated and described is directed to an Ethernet
network configuration, the present inventive concept is not limited
thereto, and other network protocols are intended to fall within
the spirit and scope of the present general inventive concept.
[0025] In certain embodiments of the general inventive concept, the
transmitter-receiver 212, the Ethernet controller 214, the CPU 216,
the first volatile memory 218 and the power supplier 220 form an
interface circuit and may be provided as an SOC 210. The
non-volatile memory 230 and the second volatile memory 232 may be
provided as part of an external circuit 240.
[0026] The first volatile memory 218 mounted in the interface
circuit SOC 210 may be a small-capacity volatile memory system
having enough capacity to store data and a set of
processor-executable instructions to perform certain standby
operations, and the second volatile memory 232 mounted in the
external circuit 240 may be a large-capacity volatile memory system
having enough capacity to meet the memory requirements of the
interface card 200 during normal active mode operations. However,
other memory configurations are practicable in accordance with the
general inventive concept so as to meet the requirements of the
specific implementation thereof.
[0027] The transmitter-receiver 212 implements a network physical
layer and, as such, receives the packet data provided from the
external device via the network and outputs the packet data to the
Ethernet controller 214, which may implement a network data link
layer.
[0028] The Ethernet controller 214 processes the input packet data
and stores it in the first volatile memory 218. The CPU 216
processes the packet data stored in the first volatile memory 218
via a software protocol stack of the network protocol, such as
through a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP)
compliant stack or the like.
[0029] In FIG. 2, the CPU 216 and the Ethernet controller 214 are
described herein as separate functional components performing
various separate operations of the interface card 200. However, the
CPU 216 and the Ethernet controller 214 may be combined to form an
interface card controller, and the term "controller," when used
herein, refers to the combined functionality of the CPU 216 and the
Ethernet controller 214, regardless of whether the components are
physically combined.
[0030] The power supplier 220 supplies or controls a driving power
to the external circuit 240, including the non-volatile memory 230
and the second volatile memory 232, depending on the operational
mode of the interface card 200. The power supplier 220 may be a
self-contained power supply deriving power from a bus (not
illustrated) to which the interface card 210 is connected, or may
be a switching device selectively applying power, such as from the
bus (not shown), when the active mode is in effect.
[0031] The non-volatile memory 230 and the processor-executable
instructions stored therein form active-mode firmware and
sleep-mode firmware in that the non-volatile memory 230 stores
executable instructions for both active mode operation and sleep
mode operation. The non-volatile memory 230 may be implemented
through any non-volatile storage system, such as a read-only memory
(ROM) or a flash memory.
[0032] Active-mode firmware may include processor code to execute
network interface operations in the active mode, e.g., processing
packet data, such as printing packet data, in a network device,
such as a network printer. The active-mode firmware may include a
scheduler module that ascertains whether the transmitter-receiver
214 has received any packet data within a predetermined time
period.
[0033] Sleep-mode firmware may include processor code to execute
network interface operations in the sleep mode through processes
loaded into the first volatile memory 218 of the interface circuit
SOC 210. In certain embodiments of the present general inventive
concept, the sleep-mode firmware is compact firmware without an
operation system (OS).
[0034] The sleep-mode firmware may include a packet analyzing
module to analyze whether the packet data received by the
transmitter-receiver 214 contains a protocol-compliant payload that
can be processed in the sleep mode, a protocol module to process
the packet data in the sleep mode, and an active mode converting
module to transition the network card 200 from the sleep mode to
the active mode so that the packet data may be processed in the
active mode responsive to a result of analysis by the packet
analyzing module.
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, operation of the exemplary
interface card 200 in the active mode will be described.
[0036] As indicated above, the active mode is an operational mode
where the interface card 200 operates to its full capability. In
the active mode, the driving power is supplied to the non-volatile
memory 230 and the second volatile memory 232 in the external
circuit 240 by the power supplier 220. In the active mode, all the
components of the exemplary interface card 200 are powered up and
are operational. Upon transition into the active mode, the
instructions of the active-mode firmware stored in the non-volatile
memory 230 are loaded into the second volatile memory 232 and are
executed by the CPU 216 therefrom. The interface card 200, then,
operates normally in accordance with the active-mode firmware
(operation S302).
[0037] The transmitter-receiver 212 receives packets of data from
an external device connected to the network and outputs the packet
data to the Ethernet controller 214. The Ethernet controller 214
processes the input packet data, such as to execute media access
control for the interface card 200, and forwards the relevant data
to the first volatile memory 218. The CPU 216 processes the packet
data stored in the first volatile memory 218 in accordance with the
software protocol stack, such as the TCP/IP compliant protocol
stack.
[0038] If the transmitter-receiver 212 does not receive packet data
for some time, the scheduler module is activated (operation S304).
In certain embodiments of the present general inventive concept,
the scheduler module may transition the interface card 200 into the
sleep mode after a predetermined time has elapsed since its
instantiation, and/or may determine if the sleep mode has been
activated through some other mechanism, such as through a user
command received in a properly formatted data packet. Then, if
after a predetermined time period it is determined that the
interface card 200 is to be in the sleep mode (operation S306), the
interface card 200 retrieves the sleep-mode instruction code from
the non-volatile memory 230 and loads the code into the first
volatile memory 218, removes the driving power supplied by the
power supplier 220 to the external circuit 240, e.g., the
non-volatile memory 230 and the second volatile memory 232, and
transfers control of the CPU 216 to the sleep-mode firmware in
order to complete the transition into the sleep mode (operation
S302).
[0039] However, if it is determined that the interface card 200 is
not to be in the sleep mode (operation S306), the interface card
210 continues to operate normally in the active mode (operation
S302).
[0040] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, operation of the interface card
200 in the sleep mode will now be described.
[0041] The sleep mode, as indicated above, is the operational mode
where minimum power consumption is required and, as such,
operations are confined to minimal processes, such as those that
inform external devices that the interface card 200 is in standby
in response to discovery packet data, such as broadcast packet
data, multicast packet data or the like.
[0042] The transmitter-receiver 212 receives packet data provided
from the external device connected to the network (operation S402)
and outputs the packet data to the Ethernet controller 214. The
Ethernet controller 214 processes the input packet data and stores
the processed packet data in a data portion of the first volatile
memory 218 (portion S404).
[0043] In certain embodiments of the present general inventive
concept, the CPU 216 executes the packet analyzing module stored in
the first volatile memory 218 to analyze what types of packet data
are received and determines whether it is possible to process the
packet data in the sleep mode (operation S406). The present general
inventive concept does not limit the types of packet data that can
be processed in the sleep mode, where such limitation is determined
primarily by the size of the first volatile memory 218, the size of
the code necessary to process any given packet data type, and the
adopted standards defining acceptable behavior in a given
operational mode.
[0044] If it is determined that the packet data can be processed in
the sleep mode, the CPU 216 operates a corresponding protocol
module stored in the first volatile memory 218 and the protocol
module analyzes the packet data to execute a corresponding
procedure (operation S408). Further, if it is required to respond
to the external device that provided the packet data, the CPU 216
generates respondent packet data and transmits a suitably formatted
packet containing the response (operation S410).
[0045] However, if the packet data cannot be processed in the sleep
mode, the CPU 216 executes the active mode converting module stored
in the first volatile memory 218 to transition the interface card
210 from the sleep mode to the active mode (operation S412). For
example, if the present general inventive concept is implemented in
a network printer and the packet data from the external device is
printing packet data, the CPU 216 transitions the interface card
210 into the active mode and processes the printing packet data to
be printed. Accordingly, the driving power would be supplied to the
non-volatile memory 230 and the second volatile memory 232 through
the power supplier 220, the active mode code would then be loaded
from the non-volatile memory 230 into the second volatile memory
232, and the control of the CPU 216 would be transferred to the
active mode instructions. In certain embodiments of the present
general inventive concept, the printing packet is maintained in the
first volatile memory 218 throughout the transition into the active
mode, at which time the active mode instructions stored in the
second volatile memory 232 are executed to process the printing
packet data.
[0046] FIGS. 5A and 5B are block diagrams to illustrate operation
of an exemplary network device, in particular, a network printer
500 embodying aspects of the present general inventive concept. As
is illustrated in the FIGS. 5A-5B, a user's computing device 502 is
connected to the network printer 500 through a communication
network 510. For purposes of explanation and not limitation, the
exemplary communication network will be an Ethernet implementation
of a local area network operating under the TCP/IP Internet
protocol suite. The network printer 500 includes a printing engine
504, which includes all of the hardware and software for printing
indicia one or more pages of printable media, and a network
interface card 200 implementation of the present general inventive
concept, such as is described above. It should be apparent to the
skilled artisan that other network devices may be used with the
present general inventive concept, where the printing engine 504
would be replaced with the hardware and software implementing the
applicable network device.
[0047] The sleep-mode firmware of the exemplary interface card 200
in the network printer 500 includes protocol modules which may be
operated in the sleep mode. For example, the sleep-mode firmware
includes a discovery protocol module, such as for processing
broadcast or multicast discovery packets transmitted by external
devices when searching for a network printer on the network, a
packet analyzing module and an active mode converting module.
[0048] FIG. 5A illustrates operation to process the packet data if
the host computing device 502 transmits broadcast or multicast
discovery packets while the interface card 200 of the network
printer 500 is in the sleep mode. Responsive to the
transmitter-receiver 212 of the interface card 200 receiving packet
data of any type, the packet analyzing module determines whether
the packet data belongs to a set of packet data that can be
processed in the sleep mode. In the case where discovery packet
data are in the set of packet data that can be processed in the
sleep mode, the exemplary embodiment determines that it is possible
to process the discovery packet data in the sleep mode, and the
discovery protocol module is executed to process the discovery
packet data. In accordance with the exemplary embodiment, the
discovery protocol module generates respondent packet data to be
transmitted through the network 510 to the host 502 so that the
user thereat can operate the network printing apparatus 500 to
print.
[0049] FIG. 5B illustrates operations to process the packet data if
the host 504 transmits printing packet data to print in the sleep
mode of the interface card 200 of the exemplary network printer
500.
[0050] If the transmitter-receiver 212 of the interface card 200
receives the printing packet data, the packet analyzing module
determines whether the packet data can be processed in the sleep
mode. However, in this case, the printing packet data cannot be
processed in the sleep mode and the network printer 500 transitions
from the sleep mode into the active mode, such as through the
exemplary processes described above. Once in the active mode, the
printer prints the received printing packet data.
[0051] As described above, the present general inventive concept
can reduce power consumption in a sleep mode over other interface
cards of the prior art.
[0052] Further, the present general inventive concept can avoid
spending unnecessary time to transition into an active mode and to
load active mode instruction code whenever a packet must be
processed, in that the general inventive concept allows some packet
data to be processed in the sleep mode.
[0053] Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive
concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these
embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the
general inventive concept, the scope of which is not defined by the
descriptions above, but by the appended claims and their full range
of equivalents.
* * * * *